doddisalegend

Why wouldn't they be? They thrashed as SMS last season and should have won easily at their place as well. They have a very good keeper one decent CB and that kid from Norwich, that they beat us to, who looks handy. We will probably have Hoedt in defence so if I was them I'd be confident to.

How was Redmond the worst player on the pitch against Everton that accolade certainly goes jointly to the calamity brothers at CB. Even then Romeu, Lemina, Austin and Cedric are all up there before Redmond.

I think its more people are hoping Vesty is better than what we have. The rest of them have ranged from terrible, to **** poor to passable last season. If our new CB turns out to be worse than the current lot we are in big trouble this season.

Hughes needs to work out his best team and formation to get more control in midfield. For 60 minutes against Burnley and most of the Everton game we just surrendered the middle of the park. Doing that is putting to much pressure on the defence and making it really hard to build meaningful attacks what we need ( especially at home) is the last 30 minutes of the Burnley game where we were in control and putting allsorts of pressure on Burnley.

Yep sounds about right

That was £32 million 2016. After two years of PL player inflation he is probably worth more like £48 million now

Hang on so if an outfield player goes to play a ball gets to it first but then follows on into another player with his studs up the ref wouldn't give it as a foul?

I'm not one of the rabid Les haters but even I called him out for that bull****e.

Who you gonna play instead? Lemina - has been mixed generally poor for a while but clearly has some ability Hoj - just awful can't string two passes together has had about three good games in two seasons Romeu - has also been poor for a while though unlike the other two has actually had a good PL season so has proved capable of playing well in the PL Davis - aging always looks awful when played as a holding midfielder JWP - enough said. Armstrong - totally waste of his abilities. Stephens - out of position still won't win a header. There is a reason why Romeu and Lemina will play most of this season as the holding in midfields because our other options are even worse.

TBF people have had two seasons of saying if only we'd scored so its not really a surprise people have been worn down a bit. I've lost count of the games I've watched the last couple of seasons where I've thought "if only we'd scored that opportunity" the problem is we don't and you don't get points for almost scoring or playing well and losing.

Yeah Im sticking with defence being the problem (combined with our poor midfield)..

lol Fair do's wishful thinking...

Amazing how we equalised and then lost all momentum instead of putting pressure on Everton.

Still think Stephens is doing Ok both of them at liabilities at that back.

I'm all for attacking subs when you are chasing a game but we've lost midfield again whose supposed to be winning the ball and creating for our three strikers?

**** me another yellow is that most of the back line on a yellow now. Someone's going to get sent off.

A goal!! can our defence keep us hanging on in there while we get another one ?

Yes 5 of which two aren't good enough which was plain for all to see last season both of them should have been replaced this summer

Erm who picked the team...I think Hughes has to take some credit.

Turd again at 2 down not really sure how we respond. If we go more attacking we will let a **** load of goals in. If we try to tighten up at the back we will create nothing up front. We are a team that are screwed as soon as we concede.

So **** at the back, weak in midfield and missing scoring chances at the other end. Just the same as last season then..

**** me If I hear whispering Dave say " Free Header" one more time the cat is getting a kick.

Stephens and Hoedt are going to do for us again this season neither should be anywhere near the first 11.

Have to take our chances FFS

Until hughes works out how to get us to control midfield we are going to struggle. Out defenders are poor ( very poor in the air) but they get no respite because the ball just keeps coming back at them.